Trust supports visually impaired climber on Arctic expedition

17 October 2017

Bill Wallace Grant helps fund Jesse Dufton's Greenland adventure

A registered blind climber from Loughborough has completed an Arctic expedition into one of the most remote parts of Greenland, involving two first ascents and a 100k trek across some unexplored areas.

Jesse Dufton joined the four-week skiing and climbing expedition earlier this year, assisted by the Bill Wallace Grant – a fund run by the John Muir Trust in honour of one of our pioneering stalwarts, who died in the Alps in 2006.

Jesse’s remarkable adventure involved traversing a new 100km circular ski route up the Roslin Glacier and down the Bjørnbo Glacier, across two high cols with full pulks (small Nordic baggage toboggans) in minus 28 degrees temperatures. The expedition successfully climbed two new peaks in full alpine style between heavy snow and arctic storms.

Jesse told the Trust: “I truly have had a fantastic adventure. It was brutally cold and physically challenging just to survive in that kind of environment for a month. Being able to call myself an Arctic Explorer is pretty cool!

“As well as venturing into unexplored areas and achieving first ascents, we also managed to continue measurements taken during the 1970s of the Roslin Glacier to observe the impacts of climate change. Stake locations have already been passed to the World Glacier Monitoring Service and future measurements can be added to their records, as well as our data collected from snow pits.

“I took part in all aspects of the expedition and played a key role in the team - pulling more than my fair share of weight in the pulk, skiing, climbing, digging snow pits, drilling holes, setting up camp. I must admit I did not cook, I wasn’t allowed near the stoves!

“Through telling my story I hope I can go on to inspire others to challenge themselves and to go on an achieve great things, showing disability has no barriers. A huge thank you to the John Muir Trust and Bill Wallace Grant for supporting me in my endeavours.”